“All the action of the Government presided over by Pedro Sánchez has been aimed at protecting citizens so that the consequences of the crises we have experienced in recent years – Covid 19, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East… – do not fall on them, give better services to citizens and modernize and improve our economy, while betting on stable and quality employment, improving the number of Social Security affiliates in our city, which already exceeds 25,000, and reducing the number of unemployed, which today is 2,000 less than when the PP ruled”

The Delegate of the Government, Sabrina Moh, has presented a new report of accountability of the Government of Spain, ‘Complying’, which includes an analysis of the investments and measures made by the Executive of Pedro Sánchez in our city and the consequences that they have had between the citizens and in the Melilla itself.

As explained by the highest representative of the Government of Spain in our city, La Moncloa is working around eight strategic lines: To complete socioeconomic modernization in a green and digital key; to strengthen the Welfare State; to improve access to housing; to promote a fair ecological transition; to consolidate our country as a world reference in equality between women and men; to strengthen territorial cohesion and face the demographic challenge; to advance coexistence; and to strengthen Spain’s leadership in Europe and the world.

In this effort, he acknowledged, “there have been many European funds that, whether managed directly by the State or by the Autonomous City, have reached our city”. This was highlighted by the almost 100 million euros from the European Next Generation Funds, intended for housing, renovation of public buildings, education and professional training, inclusion and social services…

Pensioners and public employees

Moh has referred to the strategic lines of the National Government in our city. Thus, in the chapter that has to do with strengthening the Welfare State, it has stressed that almost 10,000 public employees have enjoyed a remuneration increase of 0.5% with retroactive effect for the whole year 2023 and 2% for 2024.

In addition, more than 11,000 people received the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) in June of this year, of which about half are minors, and more than 8,000 pensioners have benefited from the revaluation of pensions according to the IPC in Melilla.

With regard to Education, he referred to the investment of 12 million euros in the CEIP 'Encarna León', the 2.2 million euros that have been allocated to the creation of a new first cycle children's school, or the 150 places that are expected to increase in child education from 0-3 years. In addition, he referred to the increase of more than 300 school canteen places and the more than 370,000 euros the cost of aid for this purpose.

“We have increased the grants for books and school supplies of the calls launched by the Ministry by 125,700 euros and, from the beginning of the Recovery Plan and until May 31, 2024, a total of 1,218 Vocational Training places have been created in our city,” he said.

In terms of social policies, he has reported that more than 500 melillenses have benefited from the electric social bond in the city and that 7.6 million euros have been allocated to Melilla for different dependency programs, family care and protection policies and child care during this year.

To this amount must be added 10.5 million euros in reinforcement of the Health of Melilla, with the expansion of the portfolio of services and the implementation of different programs such as cancer surveillance, bone marrow donation, improvement of care for patients suffering from ALS and rare diseases or actions in the field of mental health.

State Housing Plan

With regard to access to housing, Moh stressed that the Government “makes clear” its commitment to facilitate access to housing, “turning Article 47 of our Constitution into a real and effective right and turning housing into the fifth pillar of the Welfare State.”

For this reason, it has apostilled, in this time, 368,000 euros have been allocated to Melilla from the State Housing Plan 2022-2025 for aid to rent vulnerable groups, the increase of the public housing stock and the promotion of housing rehabilitation in 2024.

In addition, 2 million euros have been used for the rehabilitation of the neighborhoods of the city and for the construction of 48 homes for social rent. “And at this point I also want to put the acquisition of Defense land worth 10.3 million euros by the Public Enterprise Land Entity for the construction of some 223 affordable homes,” he added.

Advance in equality

With regard to equality, the head of the Government Delegation stressed that our country is consolidated as a reference in this area and, with regard to Melilla, she said that more than 700 women have received the maternity supplement in their pension and that more than 500 women have benefited from the supplement to reduce the gender gap in pensions.

“Thanks to the Co-responsible Plan, 1.8 million euros have been allocated during this year to our city and, in the field of the fight against gender violence, Melilla has had 1.6 million euros destined directly to the autonomous city within the framework of the State Pact against Gender Violence and more than 400,000 euros for different programs and autonomous plans aimed at the victims of gender violence and sexual violence,” he explained.

In addition, the highest representative of the Government of Spain in our city has referred to the implementation of the 24-hour comprehensive care center for victims of sexual violence. “The center collects as interdisciplinary public services of permanent care, which offer crisis assistance for victims of sexual violence, their relatives, and people from the environment,” he said, so it is designed to offer psychological, legal and social care as well as telephone and face-to-face information and accompaniment 24 hours a day every day of the year.

Sabrina Moh has also referred to young people and has made it clear that “they are a priority collective within the action of the Government of the Nation”. In this area he has highlighted the fact that 1,826 young people from Melilla have registered in the Young Summer Programme to travel with discounts this summer or that about 300 young people from the city have submitted an application for the Young Cultural Voucher until July 2024, which is an allocation of 400 euros per beneficiary.

Territorial cohesion

With regard to the policies for strengthening territorial cohesion, the Government Delegate has not only referred to the 100,000 euros of the Territorial Cohesion Fund that they have allocated to Melilla, but has also pointed out the improvements that are being developed in airport terminals and transport.

Thus, it has valued the 1.6 million euros destined to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the airport as well as different actions of the terminal melillense.

Also the 78.7 million euros of the new navigation contract to guarantee the maritime connection of the city with the peninsula or the almost 40 million euros to guarantee the connection between Melilla and the peninsula and finance the operating deficit that it represents, for the next two years. This has meant an increase of 17 million euros compared to the current contract.

In turn, Moh referred to the promotion of a fair ecological transition that is being carried out by the Government of Spain and the fact that Melilla has 2 million euros for the financing of energy efficiency and circular economy projects in tourism companies, the execution of various incentive programs linked to self-consumption and storage, with renewable energy sources, as well as for the adaptation to the risk of flooding and digitization of the water cycle.

Three more years of progress

“The government led by Pedro Sánchez is fulfilling the commitment it made to the citizens: bringing economic growth, employment with dignity, consolidation of well-being, commitment to environmental sustainability, more coexistence and also more leadership, European and international,” said Moh.

At this point the Delegate has advanced that “the commitment of this Government has been and will remain the same: to work to eradicate injustices, that Spain continues to grow above the European average and that we continue to create employment. We will continue to lead the ecological transition, defending the interests of the social majority against the privileged minority, expanding the rights and freedoms of citizens and betting on the present and future of our land and its citizenship.”

For this reason, he has stressed that “at least three more years of progress and progress come.” “I say to the people of Melilla that three more years of investments and policies are coming for the development of our city and the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens of Melilla, with the improvement of pensions, the increase of salaries, the reinforcement of education and health, the improvement of our transport and connections with the peninsula, with advances in equality and coexistence, with more projects of energy efficiency and circular economy, with policies that favor access to decent housing, with policies of promotion of culture and that empower our young people…”, he concluded.